Multicultural Curl Care
Emphasis on "care" - I'm going to be discussing how to best take care of, style, and wear mixed or multicultural hair. The goal is to help out some of my mixed kings and queens out there who struggle with their natural hair...
Curly hair is beautiful and a lot of people have it - no matter your ethnicity! However, not all curly hair is the same. There are categories your curls fall into depending on a lot of things, namely; shape, density, etc. Knowing your curl type is a first step towards taking great care of your hair! In total, there are 9 categories (it's simple, I promise).
2a - Gently "S" shaped hair that tends to be very fine and not carry a lot of volume. Generally referred to as "wavy" hair. The "S" shapes tend to appear farther from the scalp. Easy to straighten.
2b - Also "S" shaped hair, but closer to the scalp and with higher volume than 2a. Prone to frizz and easy to straighten (curls lose their form easily).
2c - Frizziest of type 2. Has "S" shape but also some spiral curls. Tends to be more coarse and prone to dryness, higher density than 2b. Harder to straighten.
3a - Holds curl definition well, lots of spiral curls and well defined "S" shape. Curls tend to be "bigger" about the width of a piece of chalk. Also prone to frizz, difficult to straighten.
3b - Much more volume, curls about the width of an Expo marker. Holds curl definition even after straightening. Lots of ringlets - main thing to worry about is frizz and dryness.
3c - Tight, textured coils/corkscrews, about the width of a pencil. Higher in density (meaning the strands are closer together) and very close to the scalp. Very defined curls - watch out for dryness!
4a - Also known as Afro/coily hair, sometimes referred to as kinky (note: don't let this become an insult - live it love it!) Less prone to dryness because of natural oils, visible curl pattern, curls about the width of a chopstick.
4b - Less defined curl shape, strands begin to take on a "Z" pattern. Tightly coiled and will bend at angles, can feel wiry. Prone to dryness and breakage - sort of an in-between for 4a and 4c.
4c - The tightest coils of the hair type chart! It's difficult to style without the needed tools. Prone to shrinkage, dryness, and breakage. High porosity (absorbs moisture well, meaning it absorbs products quickly and takes a while to get wet).
Still unsure about your hair type? Here's a helpful chart:
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There's still a lot of gray area, so don't worry if you can't decide! I'm somewhere between 2c and 3a.
If you still feel uncertain, feel free to PM me or go take this free quiz: https://www.naturallycurly.com/quiz
Honestly, even if you think you've got it right go take the quiz! It's really helpful and informational, not hard to fill out. (I swear they didn't ask me to promote it).
Once you have a general descriptor for your hair, it's easier to search the web for products tailored to your needs. Don't go away just yet though - there's so much more!
And remember, from 2a to 4c, your hair is beautiful no matter what.
